Bishop cites 7 minor victims in letter to parishioners
Sep. 8—Accusations of sexual misconduct by former Bakersfield priest Craig Harrison have widened to involve seven minors, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno said in a letter read in at least one local church Sunday.
Bishop Joseph V. Brennan included the number, without disclosing details such as whether all seven have come forward with their own accusations, as part of a 2 1/2 -page letter questioning Harrison's credentials as a spiritual advisor and urging parishioners to refrain from calling the former pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish by his previous Catholic titles of father and monsignor.
Earlier reports referred to accusations against Harrison by three different people, only two of them minors at the time of the alleged incidents. Word that there are seven may suggest more people have come forward, though it was unclear whether the allegations were made by seven different individuals or whether in some cases a single accuser alleged the abuse of others.
The diocese did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment on the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Californian.
Harrison has denied ever acting in a sexually inappropriate way. He responded on Facebook to Brennan's letter, saying personal attacks are best met with love, mercy and forgiveness. He suggested Tuesday that supporters who want to speak up for him write letters to the Vatican's ambassador in Washington, D.C. or, more directly, to the diocese.
One of his attorneys, Kyle Humphrey, called Brennan's statement about seven minor victims "the same garbage that's been peddled from day one" when accusations surfaced in April 2019 that Harrison had inappropriately touched a teenage altar boy on three separate occasions while serving at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Firebaugh.
"It's always been about money," he said, saying accusers have brought allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior against Harrison because they want the church to pay them off.
Humphrey likened the rest of the correspondence to a "mean girl letter" that he said Brennan tried to get church officials to read at every church in the diocese. It was unclear Tuesday how widely the letter was read.
Addressing other statements in Brennan's letter, Humphrey noted Harrison's master's degree in divinity qualifies him to offer spiritual counseling. He dismissed the bishop's assertion the former priest needs Brennan's permission to deliver eulogies.
"This is obsession," Humphrey said.
Harrison resigned as pastor of St. Francis in February. He sued the diocese a year earlier, saying its former director of communications had made defamatory statements about him. That suit was dismissed in May.
In June two unnamed plaintiffs filed a lawsuit alleging Harrison sexually assaulted them as minors while his former supervisors looked the other way. Last month, Harrison's name appeared on a list released by the diocese of 37 clergy within its territory who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse involving a minor.
In the letter read aloud Sunday, dated Aug. 25, Brennan opened up about a topic he has declined to address publicly since the accusations first came to light. It said he avoided talking about it out of respect for Harrison's privacy, adding that the lawsuit against the diocese made the situation worse and that a damaged relationship between a diocese and a priest hurts the church's flock.
Brennan wrote that Harrison's case has elicited in him a range of emotions ranging from "sorrow to hope and everything else in between" and that he is aware of parishioners expressing to him "anger, disappointment, frustrations, confusions; and from others, words of prayerful support and encouragement."
The letter commented on recent developments, including the finding by a diocesan review board that allegations against Harrison were credible and that on March 18 Pope Francis granted Harrison leave of his position within the church. It goes on to say Harrison is forbidden from delivering homilies or pastoral care, and that continuing to call him father or monsignor adds confusion, division and dissent.
Brennan wrote that he does not begrudge anyone's effort to earn a living but that "I would like to know what advanced degrees or certificates he has worked for and received so as to qualify for offering such services." But then immediately the letter added, "In truth, that is really none of my business."
A video posted on Facebook shows a church official at St. Francis reading Brennan's letter. Afterward, the canonical administrator pro-tem at St. Francis, the Rev. Theophane Nelliparambil Antony, called Harrison's case a crisis that has led to hurt feelings.
"We pray for the diocese, for Craig, for everyone who feels hurt. We lift up," he said. "Hang in there. May God's healing touch be upon all of us. Amen."
A group advocating for victims of priest abuse issued a statement that it applauds Brennan's transparency and encourages any other potential victims to step forward.
